My Friend the King (2)
1401 Words
I try to bow, but...
“Please do away with the formalities, Walter. We're now talking as friends, not as a king and his subject.”
“OK.”
We now both sit at a simple-looking wooden table, which has just been recently refinished, that is located on the right-hand side of the audience chamber.
His Highness takes the initiative and taps my shoulder.
“Greetings to you, my old friend.”
“Same to you.”
“It's been eight months since you've last set foot here. Away on so many quests, perhaps?”
“Obviously, yes. The last one I just took was quite boring, though.”
“You shouldn't say that. All quests have a reason for existing. They inculcate the spirits of charity, good will, and good deeds, which are but some of our kingdom's many major tenets.”
“Sorry to say that. Guess I... must be getting rusty and all.”
“Our kingdom's founder, and my ancestor, wanting to open more doors to people who want help and the people who want to help, has established a questing system that has been perfected over the years. Even I was amazed by the stunning efficiency it has when I tried to embark on a quest myself.”
“Ah, that thing where you substituted for a member of a famous magic-sport team who had to bow out at the last minute due to a family emergency?”
“Yes. It just so happens that I'm doing some magic-sport in my spare time, so I definitely had the edge. In fact, I'm confident in my skills ever since our school days.”
“Heh. I knew you'd be a wise and competent ruler from the way you said that.”
“Of course. Even as royalty, I still had to undergo the best education in my own realm.”
“Yup. The Royal Academy. It's fortunate that I became your classmate.”
“Yes. And the Academy is not playing favorites, either. If my grades sucked, then it's my own fault, and I had to fix it. Fortunately, I was an honor student through and through due to my diligence, and not because I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth.”
“Say... I wonder how our old classmates are faring nowadays?”
“Hmmm... most of them are now full-fledged adventurers. Some became scholars, others became businessmen, and others just plainly stay at home. Not because they're shut-ins, mind you.”
His Highness breathes deep, before smoothly proceeding to a question I've never expected.
“Now for a question I've been waiting to ask you: Ever cooked a meal for 20 people?”
“Uh... me? Well... if you can call making no-bake pies for a hungry group of kids 'cooking a meal', then...”
“Yeah yeah, that counts.”
We continue our casual talk.
From that talk, we recall the names of the months in the official Living Water Calendar, or LWC for short.
The first month of the year is Affectionmonth; the second, Dressmonth; the third, Lifemonth; the fourth, Bloommonth; the fifth, Ricemonth; the sixth, Watermonth; the seventh, Learnmonth; the eighth, Leafmonth; the ninth, Longmonth; the tenth, Godmonth; the eleventh, Frostmonth; and the twelfth, Oraclemonth.
Minutes later...
“Walter, it's now getting late. I still have some laws to personally sign tonight.”
“Alright. I'd better get going, then. I'll go do some quests because I have to.”
“Good call. May we meet in different pages someday, Walter.”
“We will, Virgil.”
I leave the palace with no hesitation.
Now I'm back to the Poblation where I've first set foot not too long ago.
Seeing as the last quest is... to be honest, really boring (and I regretted telling that to His Highness' face), I resolve to be more picky with the quests I will choose to embark in the future.
I enter the adventurer's guild, a green-colored concrete building with displays of worn-out weapons and armor on its walls, that one may confuse it for a simple weapons and armor shop. Fortunately, the sign that says “ADVENTURER'S GUILD” is proudly displayed on the building's facade, carved in big bold letters for everyone to see.
At the adventurer's guild, the biggest one yet in the entire kingdom, adventurers of all shapes, sizes, and skill levels can take up quests sent in by anonymous people and later verified by the guild staffers to be not pranks (since prank or fake quests are punishable by law).
The quests have varying difficulty levels, with 1 being the easiest and 10 the hardest.
They can also have party requirements. For example, a simple item-gathering quest can be completed by only one person; but traversing a dangerous dungeon in search of a rare item must require a certain number of adventurers, sometimes with required classes such as melee warriors or spell-casters.
Here, I see fellow adventurers perusing the noticeboards for quests they fancy.
I decide to pitch in, naturally.
Let's see here...
“I Need Some Forks”
Quest ID: 1019-306
Quest Difficulty: 1
Party Requirement: At least one person required to start this quest. No class requirements.
Quest Brief:
From where I live, there's been a shortage of forks, for some reason. I need them for next week's reunion feast at my residence. Your mission is simple: I need 8 forks and 3 dessert forks delivered to my doorstep. I don't care if they are brand-new or used, as long as they are cleaned up and free of contaminants. I will reward you handsomely with something nice.
Meh. Too simple for my tastes. Best leave it to the beginners.
Now how about this one?
“Something to Complete Her Prototype Sample”
Quest ID: 1019-250
Quest Difficulty: 5
Party Requirement: At least one person required to start this quest. No class requirements.
Quest Brief:
My friend Beverly, who is a researcher here at the Royal Academy, is in need of an artifact that can help complete her prototype build of a magical machine that can help offset the effects of stormy weather. The artifact is called the Rose Juice Quartz, which can only be found at an obscure cave within Velez Massif. But alas, I'm no adventurer, and she has no friends who is one. So please, oh kind stranger, her research is hanging by a thread if you can't help her!
Man. Why are there so many item-gathering quests like these?
Is there really no variety in quests nowadays, or is it just people are too lazy to look for the stuff they want or need themselves nowadays?
Nope, I shouldn't think negatively like that.
Aha! This is perfect.
“They're Hunting Me Down!”
Quest ID: 1019-567
Quest Difficulty: 5
Party Requirement: At least one person required to start this quest. No class requirements.
Quest Brief:
Hi. I am only known as Benjo the Great. Lately, I've been harassed by people such as Linus Gai and Deecuz Duae because they falsely accuse me of being a propagandist shill for a tough-as-nails town mayor I support with all my heart. Even worse, they want to silence me for good! They even killed my friends Glenn Asmir Oberenx and Michael Andropov just to rub it in my face. I need your help to make them stop making my life miserable, please! If the constabulary couldn't do it, you can!
Yup. This is the quest I want: Protecting a VIP.
No sooner do I consult the guild mistress, a fair woman by the name of Mary Grace Carughnunen.
“So, Mr. Walter Deschantes, you want to take up the 'They're Hunting Me Down!' quest, right?”
“Of course.”
“Do note that this quest is quite risky. Once the VIP is killed off; you, or practically everyone else, will never get to try this quest again. Not even Resurrection Pinions can reverse the death of the VIP, so his utmost safety is therefore of the highest concern. Are you still up for it? Are you properly skilled and equipped?”
“Yes, ma'am.”
“Alright, then. Please step into the portal to start your quest at the intended location: The town of Forhampe.”
I step into the portal, and the guild mistress wishes me luck as I am about to begin another quest.
- Writer
